Roll off hoist with hinged end portion

ABSTRACT

A container handling system and method for a wheeled transport vehicle is disclosed that is capable of loading and unloading containers, particularly in locations where the overhead height is limited. A hinged tail member at the rear end of the elongated body (a/k/a tilt frame member) is rotated to the ground allowing the containers to be loaded and unloaded without rotating the tilt frame to its maximum height. A cable reeving arrangement, such as a dual reeving arrangement, can be utilized to load and unload the container.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a container handling system for a vehicle,more specifically it relates to a system and method for loading andunloading containers on and off wheeled vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The art typically refers to systems for loading and unloading containersas “hook lift” systems and “cable hoist” systems. These systems havebeen extensively employed for the transport of various materials in thecontainers. In the usual case, the container may be loaded or unloadedupon the bed of the truck or vehicle utilizing either a hook lift systemor a cable hoist system. A tilt frame member is also typically providedto assist in the loading and unloading of the containers. One typicaluse for such systems is in the picking up and hauling of refuse. An opentop or closed top container is typically delivered to, or picked upfrom, a point of use with either of the systems.

In a hook lift system, the container contains a lift bar, a frame orother similar connection for engagement with a hook. When a container isfull, the truck returns to the point where the container has beendeposited and through the use of the hook lift system, elevates thefilled container onto the truck where it may be transported, along withits contents, to a location where the container is unloaded and emptied,like a landfill or other facility. Examples of hook lift systems arefound in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,558,104; 5,601,393, 4,350,469, 3,874,537,3,964,625, and 4,204,793.

Cable hoist systems accomplish the same loading and unloading functionof the hook lift systems, but use a cable winch system like, forexample, the one shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,473. In this type of asystem, hydraulic cylinders are typically used to move the cable about afixed sheave attached to the vehicle hoist frame. In the fully retractedposition, the cable, which is wrapped around sheaves connected to thecylinders, is at its longest affective length and can be connected tothe front end of a container located on the ground. As the cylindersextend, the effective length of the cable continuously shortens as itwraps around the cylinder sheaves and then finally around the sheaveattached at the front end of the hoist frame. As the effective length ofthe cable gets shorter, the container is pulled up and onto the vehicle,which is usually in a tilted position to facilitate loading andunloading of the container.

Another more limited and specific type of lift mechanism is found inU.S. Pat. No. 3,130,847 that uses a bail device mounted on areciprocating carriage assembly. The bail device engages a plurality ofspecifically designed hook bars located and space along the underneathportion of the container. As the carriage is reciprocated back and forthalong a short path at the back end of the hoist frame, the successivereciprocation causes the bail to engage the next hook bar causing thecontainer to move forward a short distance. The reciprocation ofcarriage eventually pulls the container onto the hoist frame in a slowstepwise fashion.

Some tilt frames on the transport vehicles have extendable end portionswhich aid in loading and unloading containers in a more efficientmanner. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4.986,719. The distal (rear) endof the frame has a moveable portion which telescopically slides out ofthe frame to extend the length of the frame. These systems, althoughuseful, have durability problems and the extendable end portions are notas strong as the tilt frame. Also, they require more floor space to loadand unload containers.

Other vehicles are used to drop off and pick up relatively large metalcontainers, such as front loading containers, rear loading containers,air shipment containers and the like. These vehicles typically can loadand transport only one container at a time and thus are inefficient ifnumerous containers need to be dropped off, transported and/or pickedup.

One problem with these existing systems for loading and unloadingcontainers is that they each contain only one type of mechanism topick-up a specific type of container. For example, in the case of thehook lift systems, the vehicle can only pick up containers designedspecifically to accept the hook. Likewise, the cable hoist systems canonly pick up containers designed for cable based systems. Thus,companies must at a minimum maintain and operate two types of vehicles,those with hook lifts and those with cable hoists. Other container truckvehicles are limited to a specific type and size of container such asrear loading containers.

Another problem with existing tilt frame vehicle systems is that thetilt frame on the vehicle typically must be raised to a significantheight for the loading and unloading of tile containers and thus thesesystems have difficulty being used indoors or in situations where theceiling height is low. The vehicles with extendable end portions may beused ill such circumstances, but are not sufficiently durable andrequire more floor space for loading and unloading.

Needs therefore exist for new types of loading and unloading systemsthat can load, transport, and unload all types of containers, and in alltypes of situations and with all types of container loads, regardless ofthe overhead clearance.

The present invention solves these problems by providing a slidingcarriage design that substantially transverses the length of the tiltframe member to allow multiple types of container and structure designsto be loaded and unloaded, and also provides a vehicle tilt frame withan end portion that is separately hinged and hydraulically actuated. Thehinged end portion allows loading and unloading of containers withoutthe necessity of raising the tilt frame to an extreme angle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved systemfor loading and unloading containers regardless of the design ofcontainer, such as whether or not a container is designed as a hook liftor cable hoist container, or a front loading or rear loading container.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improvedsystem for loading and unloading containers which can be utilized forall containers, regardless of the size or type of the container, or theweight of the load and regardless of the overhead clearance height.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a system for awheeled vehicle that allows an operator of the vehicle to servicemultiple types of containers without mechanical modification of thesystem prior to servicing the particular container design.

One particular embodiment of the invention includes a tilt frame memberthat is attached to the wheeled vehicle's frame. The tilt frame memberhas a carriage that can slide along most of the length of the body andis driven by a central hydraulic cylinder, such that when the cylinderis fully extended the carriage is positioned near the front end of thetilt frame member. By “front” or “front end” is meant a position that isgenerally towards the front or closest to the cab and engine of thevehicle., i.e. a position that is more towards the front than themiddle. Likewise, when the cylinder is fully retracted, the carriage ispositioned close to the rear or opposite end of the tilt frame member.Again, by “rear” or “rear end” is meant a position generally towards theback or rear end of the wheeled vehicle, i.e. more towards the back thanthe middle. One end of the central cylinder is fixed at the rear end ofthe tilt frame member with the other end is fixed to the carriage. Theend of this cylinder that is fixed to the carriage can be the base orrod end of the cylinder. Alternatively, the central cylinder could haveone end fixed to the front end of the tilt frame member and the otherend to the carriage. In this configuration, when the cylinder is fullyretracted the carriage is positioned at the front of the tilt framemember.

The tilt frame is pivotally connected to the vehicle chassis or framenear the rear end of the frame. One or more hydraulic cylinders arepivotally attached to a support member located on the front portion ofthe vehicle frame and to the tilt frame member near the front end, suchthat when the cylinder is fully retracted the tilt frame member is in ahorizontal position parallel to and adjacent to the vehicle frame. Whenthis cylinder begins to extend, the front end of the tilt frame membermoves (tilts) upward in an arcuate path while the distal rear end movesdownward. The pivot point is typically the connection between thevehicle frame and the tilt frame member located in the rear portion ofthe tilt frame member. Raising the front end of the tilt frame memberwhile lowering the rear end facilitates loading and unloading of thecontainers. The tilt frame member may also contain a number of rollersor other friction reducing surfaces positioned along its length whichalso makes loading and unloading easier by reducing the friction betweenthe container bottom and the tilt frame member.

As mentioned, the carriage is slidably connected to the tilt framemember and can move along it from front to rear along a track usingbearing shoes or other friction reducing mechanisms, such as wheels orrollers. The carriage contains the means or mechanism that connects tothe container, thereby allowing the container to be pulled up and ontothe tilt frame member. This mechanism may be a cable hoist system or ahook lift system, or a combination of both. The cable hoist system isalso known as the “cable and sheave” mechanism, while the hook liftsystem is also known as the “jib and hook” mechanism. If the carriagecontains the jib and hook mechanism, it will also contain at least onehydraulic cylinder that is capable of moving the jib and hook mechanismthrough an arcuate path such that when the tilt frame member is in anelevated position, the hook can engage an A-frame, ring, trunion, liftbar, or other similar connector on the container.

Once the hook has captured or engaged the container, the cylinder(s) areextended to move the jib and hook device to its original starting point.Alternatively, depending on the orientation of these cylinders, they canbe retracted to move the Jib and hook device to its original startingpoint. The central hydraulic cylinder connected to the carriage is alsooperated (either retracting or extending depending on the configuration)to move the carriage from the rear of the tilt frame member to the frontend and in so doing pulling the container along with it until thecontainer is fully positioned on the tilt frame member. The cylinder(s)that elevated or tilted the tilt frame member is retracted lowering itsfront portion until it is in a horizontal or starting position parallelto the frame of the vehicle. It is within the scope of the inventionthat the hydraulic cylinders and steps mentioned above can be operatedsimultaneously or in any desired order. For example, the tilt framemember can be moved at the same time as the sliding carriage.

When the cable and sheave mechanism is used on the carriage, one end ofthe cable is fixedly attached preferably to the rear end of the tiltframe member. Alternatively, the fixed end of the cable can be attachedto a cross member on the tilt frame member located in its rear portion,or attached to the central cylinder in its rear portion. The other(free) end of the cable is passed around a sheave that is fixed to thecarriage. When the carriage is positioned near the rear of the tiltframe member, the free end of the cable is of sufficient length that itcan be attached to a container designed to be used with a traditionalcable winch system. The free end of the cable may contain a hook, latch,clasp or other suitable device to allow it to be removably connected tothe container. Once the cable is connected to the container, the vehicleoperator operates the central hydraulic cylinder causing the carriage tomove to the front end of the tilt frame member. As the carriage movesforward so does the cable sheave which in turn reduces the length of thefree end of the cable and thus pulls the container onto the tilt framemember. Because the cable is attached to the rear end of the tilt framemember and is of a fixed length, when the carriage reaches the front ofthe tilt frame member, the container is necessarily pulled all the wayonto it. Once the carriage is positioned to the front of the tile framemember and the container is fully loaded on it, the cylinder(s) thatlift the tilt frame member is retracted, lowering the tilt Frame memberand container to a horizontal or starting position. Again, there is norequirement that each cylinder or set of cylinders be operated in serialfashion and it is well within the scope of our invention that thecylinders and steps mentioned above may be operated simultaneously. Whenloading and unloading containers with the cable and sheave mechanism, itis preferable, but not necessary, that the jib and hook mechanism remainin the upright and stowed position.

In still another embodiment of the invention, the rear end of the tiltframe member is hinged so it can be rotated and pivoted independently ofthe rest of the tilt frame member. One or more hydraulic cylinders areprovided to rotate the hinged end (a/k/a “tail portion”). With thisembodiment, it is not necessary to tilt the tilt frame member to thesame extent, or the conventional amount. Instead, the hinging of thetail portion can position the distal end of the tilt frame memberadjacent the ground or other surface and allow the container to beloaded onto, or unloaded from, the tilt frame member and vehicle.Although a cable and sheave mechanism is preferred (either a single ordual cylinder arrangement), it is possible to use either a jib and hookmechanism or a cable and sheave mechanism for loading or unloading thecontainers. In addition, the hinged tail member can be designed to havethe same strength as the tilt frame member.

In addition, for some types of containers, the hinged tail can belowered for pick up and delivery of the containers without the necessityof lifting or tilting the tilt frame member.

In another embodiment, a dual cylinder reeving arrangement (rather thana single cylinder reeving arrangement as described above) can be used tooperate the cable and thus load and unload the containers from or onto avehicle with a tilt frame member.

Further features, benefits and advantages of the inventive process andsystem will become apparent from the following description ofembodiments of the invention, particularly when viewed in combinationwith the accompanying drawings and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a loading and unloading system in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the system shown in FIG. 1 illustrating use ofa cable hoist system.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are additional side views of the system shown in FIGS. 1and 2, illustrating a container being loaded onto a vehicle.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a container fully loaded on a vehicle.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a loading and unloading system in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention illustrating use of a jib and hookmechanism to load a container on a vehicle.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are side views of the system shown in FIG. 6 illustratinga container being loaded onto a vehicle.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the system shown in FIGS. 6-8 showing acontainer fully loaded onto a vehicle.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a top view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG.10.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a representative slidable carriagedevice which can be used with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 13-15 illustrate an alternate embodiment of the invention loadingand unloading other types of containers.

FIG. 16 depicts a dual cylinder reeving arrangement which can be usedwith the various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 17 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

One embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 and referredto generally by the reference numeral 20. The system 20 is adapted to bemounted on a vehicle 22 which typically consists of a cab portion 24 anda chassis or bed frame 26. The embodiment includes a tilt frame member28, which is adapted to be pivotally mounted on the bed or frame 26 ofthe vehicle 22.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the tilt frame member 28 includes a pair ofside rails 30 and 32, a slidable carriage member 34, a centrally locatedhydraulic cylinder 36, and a hinged tail or end member 38. The vehiclesare typically used to load and unload containers, such as refusecontainers, from businesses and other commercial establishments. In thisregard, the use of the term “container” is not meant to be limiting. Thevehicle with which the present invention can be used can load or unloadvirtually any structure or object known today, including cars, trucks,buses, etc.

The carriage 34 may contain one or more mechanisms that are capable ofconnecting to a container (generally shown by reference numeral 25) forloading and unloading purposes. In this regard, the loading andunloading system in accordance with the present invention preferably isa cable hoist mechanism. It is also possible to provide a hook liftmechanism for use in loading and unloading the containers 25. It is alsopossible in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention toinclude both a cable hoist system and a hook lift system so thatmultiple types of containers can be serviced by the same vehicle. Inthis regard, the containers 25 are typically designed either to beloaded and unloaded by a hook lift system or a cable hoist system.

Thus, although the drawings generally show both a cable hoist system anda hook lift system on the vehicle 22, it is to be noted that the presentinvention can be used with only one of these two systems. In thisregard, at this time, it is believed that the cable hoist system will bethe type of system most commonly used with the present invention.

The carriage 34 slides along the tilt frame member 26 using rollers,wheels or bearing shoes, the latter 42 being shown in FIG. 12. It isunderstood, of course, that any conventional type of members or systemcan be utilized to assist in allowing the carriage 34 to move easilyalong the tilt frame member 26 with a minimum of friction.

The carriage 34 is moved along the tilt frame by the action of thecentral hydraulic cylinder 36, which preferably is a multi-stagecylinder. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the central cylinder 36 is fixedat one end to the carriage 34 and at the other end to a cross bracket 44near the opposite end of the tilt frame members. In this manner, as thecylinder 36 retracts, the carriage 34 moves in a direction toward therear end of the tilt frame member. At the fully retracted position ofthe multi-stage cylinder 36, the carriage 34 is positioned near thecross bracket member 44.

A pulley or sheave 99 is positioned on the tilt frame member where thehinged tail member rotates to accommodate the cable movement. Thisallows the cable 100 to easily follow along in the plane of the hingedtail member when it is rotated to its down or lowered position.

As illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, the multi-stage cylinder 36 issupported by a slidable cylinder support member 50 that is attached tothe cylinder 36 and is designed such that it moves along the tilt framemember 28 when the cylinder 36 is extended and retracted.

Although only a single hydraulic cylinder 36 is utilized to move thecarriage 34 on the tilt frame member and effect use of the cable 100, itis also possible to use a dual cylinder reeving arrangement for thispurpose. Such an arrangement is shown in FIG. 16. In this arrangement,two hydraulic cylinders 170, 172 are provided on the tilt frame member,each with two sheaves (one on either end). The cable 100′ is affixed toa front end 171 of one of the two hydraulic cylinders and the cable isrouted through pulley (sheave) members 173, 174, 175, 176, and 177before being led out of the area of the two cylinders and into theposition to be used to raise or lower a container.

Once the carriage 34 is positioned near the rear of the tilt framemember 28, the operator uses the cable hoist system or the hook liftsystem to engage the container 25. As indicated above, the particularengaging mechanism will depend on the specific design of the container25. If the container has a lift bar 52, as shown in FIG. 1, and isdesigned only to be engaged by a hook lift type mechanism, then a tiltframe 28 with a jib and hook mechanism needs to be utilized. This isdescribed in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 6-9.

With any of the loading and unloading systems, the present inventionutilizes a hinged end member (a/k/a tail member) 38. The tail member 38is rotatably connected to the rear ends of the side rail members 30 and32 on the tilt frame member 28. A pair of pivot members 60 are used torotatably attach the tail member 38 to the end of the tilt frame member28.

The hinged tail member 38 includes a pair of side rail members 62 and 64as well as a rear end cross brace member 66.

A pair of hydraulic cylinders 70 and 72 are used to rotate the hingedtail member 38. The hydraulic cylinders 70 and 72 are attached at oneend to the tilt frame member 28 and attached at the other end to thehinged tail member 38.

As shown in the drawings, the hydraulic cylinders 70 and 72 allow thetail member 38 to be moved from a position in alignment with the tiltframe member 28 to a position where the end cross brace member 66 ispositioned on the ground or other surface 33 on which the vehicle ispositioned. In the latter position, the hinged tail member can act as astabilizer to prevent heavy loads from lifting the front of the vehiclewhen they are being loaded and unloaded.

The tilt frame member 28 is pivotally attached to the bed or frame 26 ofthe vehicle 22 in a conventional manner. The pivot mechanism isgenerally referred to by the reference number 69. A pair of hydrauliccylinders 80 and 82 are used to rotate (tilt) the tilt frame member 28relative to the bed or frame 26 in a manner shown in the drawings. Inthis regard, the tilting of the tilt frame member 28 is conventionalwith container vehicles of this type and it is not believed necessary todescribe the tilting and pivoting mechanism in further detail herein.

As indicated above, the present invention is preferably utilized with acable hoist system. In this system one end of the cable 100, as shown inFIGS. 1-5, is fixedly attached to the tilt frame member 28. In theembodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5, the fixed end of the cable 100 issecurely attached to the cross brace member 44. Alternately, the fixedend of the cable can be attached to another cross member on the tiltframe member located in the rear portion of the tilt frame member 28, orattached to the central cylinder in the rear portion of the tilt framemember.

The other free end of the cable 100 is passed around a sheave or pulleymember 102 that is fixed to the carriage 34, as shown in FIGS. 10 and11. When the carriage 34 is positioned near the rear of the tilt framemember 28, the free end of the cable 100 is of sufficient length thatcan be attached to a container designed to be used with a traditionalcable winch system.

The free end of the cable 100 may contain a hook, latch, or clasp, suchas hook 104 shown in FIGS. 1-5 and 12 to allow it to be removablyconnected to the container.

Once the cable 100 is attached to container 25, as shown in FIG. 2, thevehicle operator operates the central hydraulic cylinder member 36,causing the carriage 34 to move toward the front end of the vehicle. Inthis regard, FIG. 2 illustrates the beginning of a loading operation. Asshown, the hinged tail member 38 has been rotated until the end member66 is positioned on or near the ground or other surface 33. In addition,the hook or other attaching mechanism 104 has been attached to thecontainer 25. Note that the operator can in some situations raise thecontainers onto the hinged tail without raising (tilting) the tilt framemember and with skill continue to load the containers all the way ontothe tilt frame member.

In the latter situations, it also is possible for a hinged tail memberto be utilized on a container transport vehicle without a tilt framemember. Instead, a fixed elongated body member can be positioned on thebed or vehicle frame 26. The hinged tail member then is attached to theend, or near the end of the elongated body member. Also, rails, tracksor the like are preferably positioned on the elongated body member toassist in sliding containers along its surface and/or to assist inholding the containers in place.

FIG. 3 illustrates another step in the operation of loading thecontainer 25 onto a vehicle. In this Figure, the tilt frame member 28has been raised or tilted by activation of the hydraulic cylinders 80and 82 and the front corner or end 25A of the container 25 has beenpulled up onto the hinged tail member 38. The rotation or tilting of thetilt flame member 28 is illustrated by the angle A in FIGS. 3 and 4.With the present invention, the amount of angle A is discretionary withthe operator.

As the carriage 34 moves forward towards the cab 24 of the vehicle 22,the cable sheave 102 moves with it. This in turn reduces the length ofthe free end of the cable 100 and thus pulls the container onto the tiltframe member (or elongated body member). Because the cable 100 isattached near the rear end of the body and is of a fixed length, whenthe carriage 34 reaches the front of the tilt frame member, thecontainer is necessarily pulled all the way onto it. In this regard, afurther intermediate step in the loading of a container 25 is shown inFIG. 4.

Once the carriage 34 is positioned at the front of the tilt framemember, the container is fully positioned on it. This is shown in FIG.5. At this time, or shortly before, the hydraulic cylinders 80 and 82are activated lowering the tilt frame member 28 until it restshorizontally on the bed or frame 26 of the vehicle. Also, the hydrauliccylinders 70 and 72 are activated which rotates the hinged tail member38 back to its position in alignment with the tilt frame member 28.

The precise sequence of operation of the tilting of the tilt framemember, the movement of the carriage 34 along the tilt frame member, andthe return of the hinged tail member to its rest position, is notcritical. There is no requirement that each cylinder or set of cylindersbe operated in a serial fashion and it is well within the scope of theinvention that the cylinders be operated simultaneously, or in any othermanner which is convenient to the operator.

In this regard, if a jib and hook member 40 is also provided on theslidable carriage member 34, then it is simply moved along the tiltframe member with the carriage member 34 as shown in FIGS. 1-5.

For ease in loading and unloading containers., such as container 25, onand off the tilt frame member 28, it is typical for the container tohave rollers or slides in the forward end 25A of the containers, as wellas rollers or slides in the rear end 25B. Devices of this type areshown, for example, in FIGS. 1-4. It is also typical to include siderails, tracks or guide rails of some type on the tilt frame member. Theprecise devices for these purposes are not part of the present inventionand any conventional type of devices known in the art for these purposescan be utilized.

The weight distribution of the loaded vehicle is important from legaland safety standpoints. Because the carriage 34 can be moved along thetilt frame 26, the present invention has the ability to position aloaded container anywhere along its length, thus distributing the loadin the most efficient manner. The container may be positioned eitherforward or adjacent the cab 24 as shown in FIG. 5 or, for example, if asmaller container is utilized, it can be positioned further towards therear of the vehicle. The movement of the carriage 34 is controlled bythe extension and retraction of the multistage cylinder 36.

The present invention is particularly useful for loading and unloadingcontainers where there is a low ceiling or type of obstruction whichprevents the tilt frame member from being rotated or tilted to an extentnecessary to load or unload a container without a hinged tail member.With conventional vehicles with tilt frame mechanisms, the tilt framemembers is typically rotated from the bed or frame of the vehicle untilthe rear end of the tilt frame is positioned on the ground. In order toaccomplish this, the hydraulic cylinders conventionally rotate the tiltframe up to an angle A of approximately 40-50°. Conventional fixedlength tilt frame members in use today are on the order of 22-24 feet inlength. In this manner, the forward end 28A of the tilt frame member 28can be tilted to a position well above the height of the cab of thevehicle. When unloading a container with a conventional tilt framemechanism, the tilt frame member is rotated in a similar manner to asimilar angle. With the present invention, it is possible to maintainthe angle A for both loading and unloading containers and thus the angleof the tilt frame members, to approximately 0-20′.

When the telescopic cylinder 36 is retracted, the carriage will push thecontainer rearwardly. At a point where the center of gravity of thecontainer is adjacent the hinged tail member or positioned on it, theleading edge of the container will meet the ground. The vehicle may thenpull forward extending the length of the cable to the length where thevehicle may pull out from underneath the raised container. The containerwill then roll further off the vehicle and down the hinged tail member.

As indicated above, either a cable hoist system or a hook rail system,or both, can be utilized with embodiments of the present invention.Thus, it is possible to provide an elongated body with a carriage member34 having only a cable and sheave mechanism. It is also possible toprovide a carriage 34 with only a jib and hook mechanism. In anotherembodiment, it is possible to provide the tilt frame member 28 with botha cable hoist system and a hook rail system.

The use of a hook rail system in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention is shown in FIGS. 6-9 of the drawings. In thisembodiment, the jib member 40 is extendible preferably in a telescopicmanner, as shown in FIG. 6. This allows the hook member 122 on the endof the jib 40 to extend beyond the end of the tilt frame member and beconnected to the container 25 when the container is positioned on theground 33. In this regard, as shown in FIGS. 10-12, the jib member 40 isactivated by a pair of hydraulic cylinders 130 and 132 in order to raiseand lower the jib member 40 with the hook 122 at the end thereofMovement of the vehicle can assist in loading and unloading thecontainers.

The cylinders 130, 132 on the carriage 34 are activated to raise orrotate the jib to the position shown in the drawings. In this regard, inthe position shown in FIG. 6 where the jib is extended, the hook member122 on the end of the jib 40 can be engaged on the lift bar 52 on thecontainer 25. The container 25 then can be elevated and lifted onto thetilt frame member in a manner similar to that described above withreference to FIGS. 1-5.

In this regard, as shown sequentially in FIGS. 6, 7, 8, and 9, thehinged tail member 38 is first lowered as shown in FIG. 6 and thecarriage 34 is started to move toward the front end of the vehicle whichpulls the container 25 onto the rails of the hinged tail member and ontothe surface of the tilt frame member 28. At some point, the cylinders 80and 82 are activated in order to tilt the tilt frame member 28 to theangle A as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and the hinged tail member 38 isreturned to its rest position, as shown in FIG. 8.

When a multistage cylinder 36 is fully extended, the slidable carriage34 is at its most forward position on the tilt frame member 28. At thispoint, the container 25 will be fully positioned on the vehicle, asshown in FIG. 9. As indicated, the container 25 can be positioned at anydesired location on the tilt frame member, although the weightdistribution of the loaded vehicle is important from a legal and safetystandpoint. Also, again the position of the container 25 is determinedby the position of the carriage 34 which in turn is positioned by theextension and retraction of the multistage cylinder 36.

As with the cable hoist system, there is no requirement that eachcylinder or set of cylinders utilized with the hook lift system beoperated in a serial fashion. The sequence of activation is dependentupon the discretion of the operator, as is well known in the art.

The side rail members 62 and 64 on the hinged tail member 38 allow useof L-shaped locking members 90, 92 thereon. The locking members arepositioned on the inside of the rail members 62, 64 as shown in FIGS. 10and 11 and are used to secure a container 25 to the tilt frame member 28once the container is loaded onto it. (In an alternate embodiment, thelocking members can be positioned on the outside of the rail members 62and 64.) The locking members are pivotally attached to the rail membersand are hydraulically actuated. The locking members hook over the lowertubular members, or the lower flanges on the I-beams or L-shaped beams,which are positioned on the bottom of the containers.

The locking members are called “hold-down” devices. Having thempositioned on the hinged tail member minimizes or eliminates the problemwith conventional container loading/unloading vehicles because of thesteep lifting angle with conventional devices. The locking membersprovide greater reliability and safety.

Another benefit of the invention is the ability to dislodge the contentsof the container 25 using the central cylinder 36. In some situations,the container is loaded with material that becomes lodged in thecontainer after loading and transportation to a dump site. In thesecircumstances, merely tilting the tilt frame member to elevate the frontend of the container will not be sufficient to cause the contents tofall out of the rear end of the container into the dump site. Indeed,the customary method to empty a container using existing systems islimited to raising the tilt frame member to the predetermined dump angleand then moving the vehicle in reverse and having the driver repeatedlyapply the vehicles brakes rapidly to cause a rapid deceleration.Unfortunately, this prior method of emptying containers causes excessivewear on the vehicle and lifting system resulting in damaged parts andincreased frequency of maintenance, especially to the vehicle's driveline and rear end differential.

The design of the central cylinder 36 avoids these problems and providesan improved and safer method of emptying lodged loads from a container.Loads that are difficult to empty from open top containers includesludge materials, frozen granular materials and construction debriswhich may bridge across the container width. In the case of closed topcontainers, these are commonly used to receive material from acompaction device. Loaded materials are densified as a result of thecompaction forces exerted; thus the newly densified material in theclosed container often have great expansion forces which can “lock” thematerial into the container. Freezing winter conditions greatly magnifythis effect. Because the traditional method of backing up and rapidbraking does not dislodge the contents, it becomes necessary to dig outthe container with a mechanical device, such as a back-hoe or similardevice, which takes time, costs money and ties up equipment. Further,the vehicle and loaded container must leave the unloading area to go toa safe solid footing area before this alternative emptying method can beperformed.

The centrally loaded multi-stage cylinder 36 allows a rapid moving ofonly the container, and not the vehicle or the elongated body, while thecontainer is in a tilted position on the tilt frame member. The frontend 28A of the tilt frame member 28 is elevated to a predetermined dumpangle by extending the cylinders 80 and 82. Carriage 34, which isslidably connected to the tilt frame member 28 and indirectly connectedto container 25 through an engaging system, can move forward andbackwards along the elongated body by actuating central cylinder 36.Repeated movement of the container 25 back and forth along the dumpangle of the tilt frame member 28 using movement of carriage 34 createsa shaking action similar to shaking salt out of a salt shaker. Thisshaking action is only possible because of the design of the centralcylinder where the smallest diameter stage 37 (see FIGS. 10 and 11) ofmulti-stage hydraulic cylinder 36 is the first stage to retract when themulti-stage cylinder is fully extended. Rapid movement of the cylinder36 will result with the system hydraulic fluid flowing through thesmallest diameter section 37 of the multi-stage cylinder 36. The shakingmotion is most effective when the engaging system is a cable hoistmechanism because when the carriage 34 retracts, two feet of cable 100will be released per foot of travel of the carriage, thus furtherintensifying the shaking action. This occurs because cable sheave 102 isattached to carriage 34 and moves with the carriage and the fixed lengthcable 100 moves across sheave 102.

Also, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the hinged tail member 38 has a bumper device 48 attached toit. The device 48 meets the rear hold down device requirements of theU.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”). Often, the required hold-downdevices are “in the way” when loading containers and often get damagedas a result. Having the hold-down device 48 attached to the hinged tailminimizes or eliminates this problem with conventional containerloading/unloading vehicles, and also provides greater reliability andsafety.

Another advantage of the present invention is that it allows cable hoisttype vehicles to pick up and transport many different types ofcontainers, and also transport several smaller containers at one time.For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the hinged tail member 38 allows avehicle to pick up front-load containers, rear-load containers, airshipment containers, sealed containers, etc, 125, 126, 127, 128, whichhave different sizes and structures. With the hinged tail member 38 inthe lowered position, the cable hoist mechanism can be used to pullthese containers up the tail member and onto the tilt frame member.

A strap, chain, or other mechanism 140 is wrapped around or otherwisesecurely attached to the container 128. The hook or fastener 104attached to the end of the cable 100 is connected to the member 140 andthe container is then pulled onto the tilt frame member as mentionedabove. With this invention, is it not always necessary to tilt or raisethe tilt frame member 28 from the vehicle frame 26, but the tilt framemember 28 can be kept in a horizontal position (as shown in FIG. 13). Ina further embodiment, as mentioned above, the tilt frame member can beeliminated.

The vehicle can hold and transport a plurality of containers of thistype, as shown in FIG. 13. The containers on the tilt frame can be tieddown or otherwise secured to the tilt frame in any conventional manner,such as with tie-down straps 145, ropes, chains. etc.

For this purpose, only a cable hoist mechanism is provided and can beutilized. Also, the moveable carriage 34 is positioned below the planeof the top of the side rails 30, 32 of the tilt frame so that it caneasily travel the length of the tilt frame without interference with thecontainers previously positioned thereon.

In order to unload the containers (e.g. 125-128), the carriage 34 has amoveable push member 160. The push member 160 is attached to thecarriage 34 and is hydraulically or mechanically rotated when it isneeded to a vertical position (as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15). A hydraulicor pneumatic cylinder mechanism 162 for moving the push member 160 toits use position is shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. Thus, when the carriage 34is moved toward the rear end of the tilt frame member in order to unloadthe containers, the push member 160 contacts the containers (e.g.125-128) one at a time and pushes them back towards the end of thevehicle. Also, the tension of the cable 100 which is attached to thecontainers being unloaded can be managed by movement of the carriage sothe containers can be safely unloaded down the hinged rail member.

In order to protect the hydraulic cylinders, such as 36, 72 from damagedue to unwanted movement of a container during loading or unloading,plate members 200 and 202 can be attached to the tilt frame 28 andhinged tail member 38, respectively. See FIG. 11 where the plate membersare shown in phantom. One or both of these plate members can be utilizedas desired. The plate members are preferably made of a steel sheet metalor a similar strong and durable material.

Another preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 17. Thisshows use of a hinged tail member 200 on a different type of tilt framemember 202. The tilt frame member 202 is rotatably (or hingedly)attached to an underlying vehicle hoist lift frame 204. The tilt framemember 202 is rotatably hinged at pivot member 206. The tilt framemember 202 is raised and lowered relative to the vehicle frame 204 by apair of hydraulic cylinders 208 (only one of which is shown).

The tilt frame includes a pair of elongated side frame members 210 and212 and a plurality of cross-frame members 214, 215, 216, 217 and 218. Adual cylinder reeving arrangement 230 includes a pair of hydrauliccylinders 170, 172 which are provided to operate a cable 100′. A hookmember 104, or other container attachment member, is attached to the endof the cable 100′. The dual hydraulic cylinder reeving arrangement 230is used to extend and retract the cable 100′ in order to load and unloadcontainers on and off the transport vehicle. The reeving arrangement isalso explained in detail above with reference to FIG. 16.

The tail member 200 is hingedly (or rotatably) attached to the distalend of the tilt frame member 202 by pivot member 250. The tail member200 is rotated (i.e. raised and lowered) by a pair of hydrauliccylinders 252, 254. The cylinders 252 and 254 are connected to thevehicle frame in the same or similar manner as set forth above withrespect to the other embodiments of the invention.

It is also possible for the hinged tail member and tilt frame member toshare a common pivot mechanism.

The tail member preferably has a square or rectangular structure formedby frame members 257, 258 and 259. If desired, hold down devices (notshown) can be provided on the hinged tail member in the same manner asdiscussed above with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. In addition,protective plate member 260 can be provided to protect the cylinders252, 254 from damage.

A pulley member 236 is provided on the pivot member 250 to assist inoperation of the cable and reeving system for loading and unloadingcontainers. Bumper 238 is also provided on the vehicle frame 204 andbumper 239 is provided on the tail member 200.

Although a dual cylinder reeving arrangement is shown in FIG. 17,alternate embodiments can use a single cylinder reeving arrangement, orother conventional cable hoisting systems.

The tilt frame member 202 and hinged tail member 200 are operated toload and unload containers in substantially the same manner as discussedabove. The operation of the dual cylinder reeving arrangement 230extends and retracts the cable 100′ which in turn is used to load andunload trash containers and/or other containers onto or off from thetransport vehicle. The hinged tail member is operated in a similarmanner as discussed above to assist ill the loading and unloadingoperations. The controls and control valves for operating the hydraulicsystems and cylinders are positioned adjacent to the hydraulic oil tank255.

The hinged tail member provides the same benefits and advantages to atilt frame vehicle with a dual cylinder reeving arrangement as it doesto the other lifting and hoisting embodiments discussed above.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown anddescribed herein, numerous variations and alternative embodiments willoccur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended that theinvention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described herein,but instead is limited to the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for loading and unloading a container onto and off of a transport vehicle comprising, in combination: a. a tilt frame member removably attached to a transport vehicle, where the tilt frame member has a pair of continuously rigid side rails with a length defined by a front located adjacent to a transport vehicle cab and a rear located opposite the front behind all tires on the vehicle, wherein for loading and unloading of a container to and from the transport vehicle, the front of the tilt frame member moves upward while the rear end of the tilt frame member moves downward; b. a carriage slidably attached to the tilt frame member that travels along the tilt frame member during loading of a container onto the transport vehicle; c. a multi-stage central hydraulic cylinder having a fixed end and a moving end, the fixed end being attached toward the rear of the tilt frame member and the moving end is attached to the carriage such that extending and retracting the central hydraulic cylinder moves the carriage from the rear of the tilt frame member to the front of the tilt frame member and necessarily causes the container attached to an engaging means to be loaded onto the tilt frame member; d. the engaging means releasably engaging a container, where the engaging means is connected to and moves with the carriage along the tilt frame member when the central hydraulic cylinder is extended or retracted; and e. a tail member rotatably attached to the rear of the tilt frame member, said tail member being rotated by at least one hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder; and f. wherein said tail member can be rotated between a first position in alignment with said tilt frame member, and a second position adjacent the ground.
 2. The system as described in claim 1 wherein said means for releasably engaging a container is a cable hoist mechanism.
 3. The system as described in claim 1 wherein said means for releasably engaging a container is a hook lift mechanism.
 4. A method for loading and unloading a container onto and off of a transport vehicle comprising, in combination: a. providing a tilt frame member pivotably attached to a transport vehicle, where the tilt frame member has a pair of continuously rigid side rails with a front located adjacent to a transport vehicle cab and a rear located opposite the front behind all tires on the vehicle, wherein for loading and unloading of a container to and from the transport vehicle, the front of the tilt frame member moves upward while the rear of the tilt frame member moves downward, a carriage slidably attached to the tilt frame member, and a multi-stage central hydraulic cylinder connected to the carriage and having a fixed end and a moving end; b. providing a tail member pivotably attached to the rear of the tilt frame member and being actuated by at least one hydraulic cylinder, wherein said tail member can be rotated by the at least one hydraulic cylinder between a first position in alignment with said tilt frame member, and a second position adjacent the ground; c. providing an engaging system on said carriage for connecting to a container; d. actuating pivotal rotation of said tail member to the second position; e. connecting said engaging system to a container; and f. activating sliding of said carriage along said tilt frame member to assist in pulling a container along said tail member and onto said tilt frame member until the container is fully positioned on the tilt frame member.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein said engaging system is a cable hoist system.
 6. The method of claim 4 wherein said engaging system is a hook lift system.
 7. The method of claim 4 further comprising raising the front of the tilt frame member during loading of a container onto said tilt frame member.
 8. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of raising the tail member to assist in loading a container onto the tilt frame member.
 9. A method for loading and unloading a container onto and off of a transport vehicle comprising, in combination: a. providing a fixed elongated body attached to a transport vehicle, the elongated body has a pair of continuously rigid side rails with a length defined by a front located adjacent to a transport vehicle cab and a rear located opposite the front behind all tires on the vehicle, wherein for loading and unloading of a container to and from the transport vehicle, the front of the elongated body moves upward while the rear of the elongated body moves downward; b. providing a slidable carriage member on said elongated body; c. providing a tail member pivotably attached to said elongated body; d. providing an engaging system on said carriage for connecting to a container; e. activating pivotal rotation of said tail member by at least one cylinder in a first direction to be adjacent the ground; f. connecting said engaging system to a container; g. activating sliding of said carriage member along said elongated body to assist in loading said container onto said elongated body; and h. activating pivotal rotation of said tail member by the at least one cylinder in a second direction into alignment with the elongated body to assist in loading said container onto said elongated body. 